A 64-year-old Atlanta man was freed on bond Monday following his arrest last week by Hall County sheriff’s deputies following a traffic stop for reckless driving which was just the beginning for all involved.
They say Charles Keith Cordle fought being taken into custody as soon as they stopped him following a chase and even after they got him to the hospital for treatment of injuries he suffered while resisting arrest.
The incident unfolded around 8:30 Thursday night.
“Cordle first drew the attention of an off-duty Gwinnett County Police Department officer who was traveling home from work in a marked vehicle on Lanier Parkway northbound,” sheriff’s office spokeswoman B.J. Williams said. “The officer observed Cordle driving recklessly and attempted a traffic stop, but Cordle refused to stop and fled. An HCSO deputy joined the pursuit in the area of Exit 16.”
That officer said he saw Cordle’s vehicle leave the roadway several times, at one point striking a guardrail near the Elachee Drive bridge. “The deputy estimated Cordle was driving at speeds of more than 100 mph,” Williams said. “Because the deputy believed Cordle to be a danger to other motorists, he conducted a PIT maneuver, bringing Cordle’s vehicle to a stop. With his vehicle facing the deputy’s patrol car, Cordle accelerated into the patrol vehicle in an attempt to leave the scene.”
The deputy, however, was able to get out of his vehicle and approach the driver’s side of Cordle’s. “Cordle refused to exit the vehicle, and eventually the deputy had to remove him from behind the wheel,” Williams added. “After he was extricated from the vehicle, Cordle, who showed signs of intoxication, fell to the pavement and sustained an injury to his left eye and his forehead.” But the resistance didn’t end there.
“Prior to being transported to the Hall County Jail, Cordle was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville for treatment of his injuries. While at the hospital, he attempted to leave the facility and got into a physical altercation with the…deputy assigned to watch over him. During the altercation, Cordle fell to the ground and sustained an injury to the back of his head.”
After his release from the hospital, Cordle was finally booked into the jail about 2:45 Friday morning, some six hours after his first contact with law enforcement.